Nigeria: NITDA Warns of Hackers Targeting Government Digital Services

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), through its Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team, has issued a warning after detecting hacking activities aimed at government digital services.

In a media advisory released on Wednesday (August 2, 2023), Mrs. Hadiza Umar, the Head of Corporate Affairs and External Relations at NITDA, highlighted the presence of a hacktivist group posing a significant risk to the country’s vital digital infrastructure. This group is known for engaging in politically and religiously motivated cyber campaigns and has been employing targeted attacks on government digital services, including the use of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. The group has a history of successfully executing such attacks in various countries.

NITDA urges the public to remain vigilant, emphasizing that cyber-attacks are not a distant threat but a present reality. The agency stresses the importance of bolstering cyber defenses and fortifying digital security measures to protect critical information and infrastructure from these malicious intrusions.

With the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, NITDA highlights the urgency of reinforcing the nation’s cyber front to ensure the safety and security of digital assets, as well as safeguarding essential government services from potential disruptions caused by cybercriminals.